Of one mind in Cochecton

After observing a moment of silence in honor of 9/11 fallen, the Cochecton town board raced through its September 11 monthly meeting agenda, voting unanimously on all items before it, with little or no preliminary discussion.

Supervisor Gary Maas read aloud a letter from assessor Lorry King informing the board that her current six-year term will expire on September 30, and requesting that she be appointed to another six-year term, to begin on October 1. Agreeing that her service to the town has been exemplary, the board voted to grant her request.

Sewer officer Michael Walters reported that ongoing problems with the electrical system at the sewer plant worsened during the past month, prompting the board to ask that two separate electrical contractors evaluate the situation. One contractor was of the opinion that both pumps were in need of rewiring, a costly procedure that is not a sure fix. The other contractor was of the opinion that the problem was caused by an aging motor in the early stages of failure. When Maas revealed that the motor in question was installed during the ‘70s, the board quickly voted to replace it, noting that motor replacement was the less costly of the two alternatives.

Walters also made a public plea for appropriate disposal of wet wipes. Cochecton is no stranger to the sewerage and septic system clogs experienced nationwide from disposal of wipes in toilets. He urged all residents to place wipes in garbage receptacles, and never to place them in toilets.

Maas announced that STAR participants should soon be receiving notification by mail of a new application process that is designed to eliminate potential fraud.

Upper Delaware Council (UDC) liaison Larry Richardson reported that a National Park Service e-newsletter is now available on the National Park Service (NPS) website, www.nps.gov. The UDC is sponsoring a 5k run on September 28. Anyone interested in participating will find information and a registration form on the UDC website, www.upperdelawarecouncil.org. NPS biologist Jamie Myers will present the latest information on Japanese knotweed control at 7 p.m. on September 17 at the UDC office in Narrowsburg. The public is welcome to attend.